Hydrophone casing



J1me 1953 R. It MASON ETAL- 2,641,751

HYDROPHONE CASING Fifid llay 1; 1944 "fa 2Q In m? 2 3 u. w

FIG. I

INVENTORS RUSSELL I. MASON JOHN F. RIPKEN 8 Q Q Q HECTOR F. BERNIER, JR.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 9, 1953 ==UNITED HYDROPHONE CASING Russell I.Mason, New London, John F. Ripken,

Waterford, and Hector F. Bernier, Jr., Danielson, Conn., assignors tothe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyApplication May 11, 1944, Serial No. 535,170

6 Claims. 1

cation, Serial No. 555,154, filed September 21,

This hydrophone within its casing, when in use, hangs below the buoy inlistening position. Prior to being placed in service, the hydrophone,its casing and suspension cable are stowed in the bottom compartment ofthe buoy. However, when the buoy, which is launched by parachute,strikes the water, an impact operated release mechanism, the details ofwhich form no part of the instant invention, functions to permit thehydrophone and its enclosing casing to drop out of the bottomcompartment of the buoy and hang by the suspension cable.

A primary object oi this invention is to provide a new and improvedmeans for stowing the hydrophone suspension cable in a compact mannerwithin the buoy and in such a way that the cable will pay out easilyand. without kinking when the hydrophone is released from the buoy.

Another object is to provide a new and improvedmeans for holding thehydrophone casing firmly within the buoy prior to release therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of applicants novel co'nstruction willbecome apparent from the detailed description to follow and from theaccompanying drawings" which illustrate preferred embodiments of theinvention.

'In the drawings, s

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, of thehydrophone casing and suspen-" sion cable, as stowed in the bottomcompartment for the upper end of the hydrophone casing; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of Fig. 2 ofthe lower cap of the hydrophone casing illustrating the ballastarrangement utilized.

.Referring now to the drawings, the lower end 1 of the buoy chamber isshown at Ill and together with a bulkhead I2, tacked or otherwisesecured to the buoy casing, and frame 14 of the hydrophone releasemechanism 24, comprises a com partment l6 within which are stowed acasing ll? of sound transparent material such as thin metallic sheathingenclosing the hydrophone II and suspension cable. 20. in place by aspring 22 of the impact operated release mechanism 24.

. The upper end of the cable 20 is secured to the.

buoy casing by threading it upwardly through a hole l2a in the bulkheadl2 and thereupon knotting it at l2b so as to prevent pulling back.

The construction of the hydrophone H per se forms no part of the presentinvention and has,

therefore been shown only generally in Figs. 3 and 5. One suitable typeof hydrophone havingaj shell I3 of magnetostrictive material isdescribed in application Serial No. 518,447, filed January.

means may be as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 to be later described, or tube 26may be made as a part of the top cap member 30. The cable 20 leading 1out of the hydrophone is brought out through one of the slots 28 andthen wound in several layers upon the tube 26 which thus provides thesupport for the resulting coil, the diameter of the outermost layerpreferably being substantially equal to the outer diameter of the casing18. Slots 23 provide clearance for cable 20 when the end of tube 26 isbrought into contact with the bulk head I2.

Sidewise motion of the hydrophone casing 18 while stored in compartmentI6 is prevented in part by a boss 3| centrally located on the undersurface of bulkhead l 2 over which the upper end of tube 26 can fit, andin part by a rounded boss 32 formed on a lower cap member 34 which fitsinto the open conforming end of coil spring 22.

Reference is now made to Figs. 3 and 4 which illustrate one arrangementfor securing the lower end of cableifl inside the hydrophone casing andr the tube to the casing cap, forming a watertight seal or coupling toprevent water from getting inside of casing It. A shouldered bushing 36is secured to the cap 30a of the hydrophone casing. Tube 26. in turn, issecured to bushing 36.

These are held resiliently stretch and slide over Through bushing 36 isa hole 88 which may be flared on its inner end. The diameter of hole 58should be slightly less than the outside diameter of cable 20a.

In this modification, cable 290. consists of a center conductor 40, aninsulating sheath 42 of rubber, a concentric sheath 44 of conductingmaterial to serve as a second conductor, and an outer elastic insulatingsheath 46 of rubber, shown turned back upon itself. Cable 20a isinserted in the undersized hole 38 for guidance to the illvterior of thecasing 13 in the following manner:

The outer sheath 46 is turned back upon itself for a length of severalinches, and the inner and outer conductors 40 sheath 42 are cut off. Theouter sheath 46 is now turned right side out again and the empty portionput through the hole 38 in bushing 36. 'Tension is now applied to thesheath 46 causing it to the surface of the outer conductor 44. As sheath46 stretches, its thickness, and hencethe diameter of cable 20a isreduced until the cable will pass'through the hole 38. After the cablehas thus beenpulled through. the hole 38, tension upon the sheath 46 isrelieved whereupon the latter will'snap back, expand and jam itself inthe hole 38, thereby forming'both a good mechanical clamp on cable 20aand a waterproof seal.

As an additional measure of security, the outer sheath 46 may again berolled. back upon itself as shown in Fig. 4 andsa wrapping of a fewturns of wire 48soldered to the outer conductor 44. When sheath 46 isthen again turned right side out-to cover the wire wrapping .48, ajamming de vice is formed which will function in the event of failure ofthe securing means previously described. If such securing means'fails,the cable 201: will be pulled through the hole 3t; until the bulgecaused by the wrapping 48 seats itself in the flared end of hole 38.

An alternate embodiment for securing the cable within casing i8 is shownin Fig. to which reference is now made. In this particular embodiment,the upper cap 301) of easing I8 is provided with a boss 50 upon whichthe tube 25 is soldered or otherwise fixedly secured. Cable 201) ispassed through an opening in the center of boss 50 and then tied in aknot 52 on the underside which prevents it The .cavityformed by thisboss provides a suitable-recess for .the'knot. Waterproofing is obtamed-bypartially filling the inside of tube 28 with any welLknownsealing compound 54.

In order to make the'hydrophone casing l8 hang vertically, the lower capmember 34 may be filled with:molten lead 56 as shownin Fig. 6. A smallhole 58 through the cap and lead permits the hydrophone casing Hi to betested with air pressure-for leaks after which the hole 58 may be closedby solder.

Opemtion When the buoy is launched by parachute, it floats down, thebottom end striking the water and causing the impact operated releasemechani'sm 24 to'function whereupon the hydrophone ll audits enclosingcasing l8 drops out of the bottom compartment l6 of the buoy. As casingl8 descends into the water, the coil of cable 20 will pay out layer bylayer evenly and without kinking and will finally become taut as shown nFig.2.

In conclusion it is to be understood that while the constructions shownand described are preferred embodiments of the invention, it will'be and44 and innerinsulation from being pulled out. o

- pling between the eluding an open vertical said casing having aclosure cap, a suspension cable in said chamber having one end securedto 'a portion of the chamber, a tube upstanding from the casingproviding means on which the cable'is coiled, means projecting from thecap by which :the tube=isaffixed to the cap and through which'the'otherend of the cable is guided to the interior of the casing, and elasticmeans tight around the cable and compressibly engaging in the projectingmeans to make a fluid tight couprojecting means and said cable. c

.2. In a. fluid tight casing releasably carried within .a-ohamberimmersible in a fluid medium, a cable emerging from the casing andsecuredat its endremote fromthe casingtoa portion of the chamber, and-afluid .sealfor thecable consisting of a bushing .having a hole throughwhich the cable emerges, and an elastic sheath on the cable compressiblyoccupying .theihole.

3. In a fluid tight casing -releasably .carrled within. a chamber.immersible in a. fluid .medium, a cable emerging .from the casingandsecured atits end remotefromthe casing to-aportionof the chamber, and afiuid seal-for the-cableconsisting of a boss on the casing .havinga..hole through which the cable emerges, a tube fixed on-the boss aroundpart of thecable, and sealingcompound in the tube and on the .bossaround said-cable closingthe hole.

4. Apparatus of the character described com prising a container havingahollow basemember and a smaller upper member extending upward from thesaid base member, said upper member having an open verticalrpassagewaytherein-communicating with the -inside-of said hollow base member,acable extending from within said base member through said-passagewayandemerging through the open end thereof, the outeriportion ofsaid cableincluding aresilient material :having anouter'diameter which isnormallygreater than the adjacent portion of said passageway, said resilientcable portion being held .in ..a stretched condition'by the adjacentwalls of said passageway whereby-afluid-tight joint is formed.

5. A fluid-tight joint in a system including'ra hollow member which isto be completely .immersedin a fluid and a cable which is toextendbetween the inside and outside of said hollow member comprising .ahollow membenan-npening in said hollow member, a cable extendingthrough'said opening, .the outer portion of said cable including aresilient material having an outer diameter which is normally greaterthan the adjacent portion of said opening, the said outer resilientportion of said cable being heldin a stretched condition by the walls ofsaid openingwhereby a fluid tight joint results.

6. Apparatus of the character'described"comprlsing a container having abase portion and an upper portion extending upwardly from the top ofsaid base portion, said upper portion inpassageway in the centralportion thereof which communicates with the inside of the base portionof said container, said upper portion also including a pair ofoppositely disposed vertical slots in the sides there- 01' extendingdownward from the open end of said passageway, a storage chamber, saidcontainer releasably disposed within said storage chamber, resilientmeans compressing said container against the upper portion of saidchamber with the open end of said passageway in said upper portion ofsaid container enclosed by the upper portion of said chamber, a. cablewound about the said upper portion of said container with one endthereof extending through both of said slots and connecting to the saidchamber from within said passageway, the other end of said cableextending through one of said slots and communicating with the inside ofsaid lower portion of the said container, means providing a 15 fluidseal between said cable and the walls of said passageway adjacentthereto, means fixedly anchoring said other end of said cable to saidcon- 10 Number 6 tainer, means anchoring the said one end of said cableto said chamber.

RUSSELL I. MASON. JOHN F. RIPKEN.

HECTOR F. BERNIER, JR.

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